London police are on the lookout for a male suspect following a gas station and vehicle theft on Thursday in the city’s west end.
Officers were called to the Esso station at the northwest corner of Oxford Street and Wonderland Road around 2:30 p.m. for a reported theft.
“Officers attended, and on route, were advised that the suspect now had fled and had stolen a motor vehicle across the street at 530 Oxford Street West,” said police Const. Kimberly Flett.
The suspect took off in a silver 2008 Ford Escape SUV, and remained at large early Thursday evening, said Flett, adding the suspect had taken scratch tickets and a pack of cigarettes.
“We were moving cars in the shop and a guy walked between two of us and hopped in one of the cars and drove off in it, as we were standing right there,” said Kurt, the owner of KCR Service Centre, who only gave his last name.
“We called 911 right away, and they said, ‘Is the guy in a red hoodie?’ And we’re like, ‘Yeah,’ and he’s like, ‘Well, he just robbed a gas station.”
Kurt said an employee tried to grab onto the suspect, who drove away with the vehicle’s door open. “I tried to pursue him, but he was apparently driving a lot faster than I was,” he said.
“It was like something out of a TV show.”
Flett said the same Esso station later fell victim to an attempted fraud. Another male entered the store not long afterwards and tried to use a stolen credit card.
The suspect in the first incident is described by police as male, white, 25-30 years old, six-feet tall, clean-shaven, wearing sunglasses, gloves, and a red hooded sweatshirt.
The vehicle is described by police as a silver 2008 Ford Escape. Kurt said the vehicle also had black steel rims, snow tires, and an upside-down trailer hitch. It has licence plates reading BXWY 911.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).